Above Avalon
Above Avalon is a subscription-based independent media company founded in 2014 by Neil Cybart that delivers Apple-focused analysis through a daily newsletter, weekly podcast, weekly essays, and Excel-based financial models to investors and technology professionals in 65+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Above Avalon does
Above Avalon is a subscription-based independent media and analysis company focused exclusively on Apple, founded in 2014 and operated as Above Avalon LLC by founder Neil Cybart. The company publishes a daily newsletter (Above Avalon Daily, Monday through Thursday, 2–3 stories per update, ~450 stories per year), a weekly podcast (AVALON, released Tuesdays), weekly broader-technology essays (Inside Orchard), and a premium annual financial-modeling product (Above Avalon Models) that provides an Apple earnings model plus installed base models for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch in Excel/Numbers. Content is distributed through a small stack of SaaS tools: MoonClerk, Memberful, and Stripe for billing; Ghost for the content archive; Transistor for private RSS podcast feeds to Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and Castro; and Discord for the Above Avalon Forum subscriber community.
The business model is a pure recurring subscription direct-to-consumer operation with no advertising, no external investors, and 100% of funding from subscribers. Tiers are priced from $10/month (AVALON or Inside Orchard standalone) up to $850/year (Above Avalon Models), with bundle options such as the Above Avalon Bundle ($35/month or $350/year) and the Ultra Bundle combining models with all content products. Subscriber reach extends to 65+ countries, and the stated customer segments are AAPL investors, financial analysts, Apple competitors/suppliers, and technology professionals — i.e., a horizontal niche of Apple-focused decision-makers.
Structurally, Above Avalon is a one-person publishing operation (headcount 1–10, but functionally a single-analyst business run by Neil Cybart). It generates editorial output at high frequency and persists all content in an archive, creating compounding switching costs for subscribers over time. The product is human-authored editorial and human-built financial models; there is no disclosed AI/ML surface, app, patent, or external partnership beyond the SaaS vendors listed above.
Above Avalon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Above Avalon
- Legal name
- Above Avalon LLC
- Website
- https://aboveavalon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Above Avalon is a subscription-based independent media company founded in 2014 by Neil Cybart that delivers Apple-focused analysis through a daily newsletter, weekly podcast, weekly essays, and Excel-based financial models to investors and technology professionals in 65+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Above Avalon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Subscription Media and Financial Analysis
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Podcast Syndication, Cross-Promotion & Growth Networks (MPACADAG)
Keywords
Above Avalon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Above Avalon Daily Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription for daily Apple analysis newsletter. Includes access to 10-12 stories per week via email.
- AVALON Podcast Subscription: Weekly podcast subscription providing Apple-focused audio analysis. New episodes released on Tuesdays.
- Inside Orchard Subscription: Weekly essays covering broader technology and society topics beyond Apple, sent via email on Fridays.
- Above Avalon Models Subscription: Annual subscription for access to Apple earnings model and installed base models (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch). Built in Excel/Numbers with adjustable inputs.
- Bundle Subscription: Combined subscription offering all Above Avalon products (Daily, AVALON, Inside Orchard) at discounted pricing.
- Podcasts Package Add-on: Add-on for Above Avalon Daily subscribers providing access to daily updates as podcasts (10-15 min episodes) plus AVALON podcast. Four new podcast episodes per week.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Above Avalon Daily newsletter subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | AVALON podcast subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | Inside Orchard essays subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | Above Avalon Bundle (Daily + AVALON + Inside Orchard) |
| Subscription | Annual | Above Avalon Models (earnings and installed base models) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Podcasts Package add-on |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Above Avalon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Above Avalon operates a paid direct-to-reader subscription media platform delivering Apple-focused analysis from a Wall Street and Silicon Valley perspective. Core offerings include the Above Avalon Daily newsletter (Monday-Thursday emails with 10-12 stories per week), the weekly AVALON podcast, Inside Orchard weekly essays on broader technology topics, and Above Avalon Financial Models (Apple earnings and installed base models).
Product overview
Above Avalon is a subscription-based media and analysis company founded in 2014 by Neil Cybart, specializing in Apple-focused analysis at the intersection of Wall Street and Silicon Valley. The company operates a platform-plus-modules architecture with Above Avalon Daily (core daily newsletter), AVALON (weekly podcast), and Inside Orchard (weekly essays on broader technology topics) as the three primary subscription products. Additional premium offerings include Above Avalon Models (financial modeling add-on) and the Podcasts Package (audio version of content). Subscribers can purchase individual products or save through the Above Avalon Bundle or Above Avalon Ultra Bundle, which packages multiple products together at discounted rates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Above Avalon Daily: Daily newsletter (Monday through Thursday) providing unique Apple analysis and perspective, widely recognized as the leading daily newsletter dedicated to Apple.
- AVALON
- Inside Orchard
- Above Avalon Models
Products and services
- Above Avalon Daily
- AVALON Podcast
- Inside Orchard
- Above Avalon Models
Quantifiable outcome
- 168 Above Avalon Daily updates with approximately 450 stories published in 2025
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Above Avalon
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Above Avalon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Above Avalon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Above Avalon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- 9to5Mac: Established Apple news site covering products, software, and Apple business with a team of journalists. Comparable topical focus on Apple but operates on a free ad-supported model rather than paid subscriptions.
- The Motley Fool: Large subscription investment advisory service with significant AAPL coverage as one of its most-followed stocks. Comparable in serving retail AAPL investors with analysis and recommendations, but at much larger scale with a broad investment focus.
- MacRumors: Apple-focused news and rumor aggregation site with active community forums. Comparable Apple coverage but community-supported rather than subscription-based, and oriented more toward news aggregation than original analysis.
- AppleInsider: Long-running Apple news and reviews publication with extensive coverage of Apple product strategy and supply chain. Comparable Apple focus with broader editorial team and free ad-supported model reaching a mass audience.
Direct peers
- Six Colors: Jason Snell's subscription-based Apple and tech analysis site founded by a former Macworld editor. Directly comparable as a paid individual-creator publication covering Apple from an experienced industry perspective.
- Relay FM: Podcast network co-founded by Stephen Hackett and Myke Hurley producing multiple tech-focused shows including several with Apple-centric themes. Comparable as a multi-show podcast operation monetizing Apple and tech content through subscriptions and memberships.
- Stratechery: Ben Thompson's solo-authored paid tech analysis newsletter covering the technology industry with an investor-oriented lens. Closely comparable as a one-person subscription business monetizing deep tech industry analysis for professional readers.
- The Information: Subscription-based tech news service focused on deep reporting and analysis for technology industry professionals and investors. Comparable business model (paid subscription for tech insider analysis) at larger scale with multiple journalists.
- Daring Fireball: John Gruber's solo-creator Apple-focused blog and podcast, widely considered the most influential independent Apple analysis site. Operates a paid membership model similar to Above Avalon with a single-author voice and strong brand authority in the Apple commentary space.
- Acquired: Long-form podcast network covering technology companies including Apple, monetized through paid membership tiers and sponsorships. Comparable subscription podcast business model with multi-show format focused on tech company analysis and history.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Above Avalon social profiles
Digital presenceAbove Avalon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Above Avalon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Above Avalon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Above Avalon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Above Avalon
What does Above Avalon do?
Above Avalon operates a paid direct-to-reader subscription media platform delivering Apple-focused analysis from a Wall Street and Silicon Valley perspective. Core offerings include the Above Avalon Daily newsletter (Monday-Thursday emails with 10-12 stories per week), the weekly AVALON podcast, Inside Orchard weekly essays on broader technology topics, and Above Avalon Financial Models (Apple earnings and installed base models).
Is Above Avalon a public or private company?
Above Avalon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Above Avalon founded?
Above Avalon was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does Above Avalon make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Above Avalon Daily Subscription is the primary driver. The others are AVALON Podcast Subscription, inside Orchard Subscription, above Avalon Models Subscription, bundle Subscription and podcasts Package Add-on.
Who are Above Avalon's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are 9to5Mac, The Motley Fool, MacRumors and AppleInsider. Direct peers are Six Colors, Relay FM, Stratechery, The Information, Daring Fireball and Acquired.
Does Above Avalon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Above Avalon.
What industry is Above Avalon in?
Above Avalon's product category is Subscription Media and Financial Analysis. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACADAB, Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers, with a secondary code of MPACADAG, Podcast Syndication, Cross-Promotion & Growth Networks. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.